A Tauranga Zumba event is helping to raise crucial funds for Tauranga breast cancer support services.

The Pink Zumbathon aims to bring locals together in a fun 90 minute class that will help to raise funds for vital services in the community.

Zumba instructor and organiser Tina Neville says she is a big supporter of local breast cancer support services.

'I try and do some sort of a Pink fundraiser every year,” says Tina. 'But in the last year it has become a lot more personal to us.

'One of our long term members, Susan, was diagnosed with breast cancer around a year and a half ago.”

She says over the last year Susan has had a full mastectomy, nine months of chemotherapy and a series of intense radiation treatments.

'Despite what she was going through she would still come to classes when she could, even when she had lost all her hair and was feeling really crappy she would come because she needed the support of people and the music.

'The thing with Zumba is it's not just a fitness programme it makes you feel good, and that was really important to her all through her treatment.

'She had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, she really went through the maximum amount they could throw at somebody and even during all of that, she would come to class.

'Obviously she couldn't do the same things as what she used to but it was a really important way for her to keep in touch with people.

'She got a lot of support from the Zumba people and Tauranga breast support services.”

Tina says not only did local support services help Susan, but also herself as a close friend of hers.

'Susan a good friend of mine and when I was going through some really tough times I would go and sit in their offices and a lot of the time I would be in tears asking ‘what can I do to help her'

'They were really good, down to earth and they offer practical, realistic advice to anyone who needs a hand whether its partners, friends or kids.

'It really is something that touches a lot of people, we've also got two other girls in our group who have lost their mother to breast cancer and when it becomes personal it's unreal.

'When you're going through something like that it's such a good organization to have and when I found out they don't get any funding I was shocked.

'When there is big national collecting days a lot of people think the money goes directly to the people who are fundraising, but it actually doesn't.

'They do so much and they just rely on donations, so I thought they need a lot of local support.

'We had someone close to us who was really affected by breast cancer and because of that we will do one of these every year to honour Susan.

'She's one of these people that's always so bright and bubbly and she would do anything to help someone else so I always dedicate the Zumbathon to her.”

She says Susan is currently on a road to recovery.

'She still has regular scans and a few scares here and there and she's still up and down, but it's just something she's always going to have to live with as anyone who has been through cancer knows.”

Tina now hopes to rally support from locals, with her Pink Zumbathon session.

'It's a 90 minute fun Zumba class with a few of the local Zumba instructors,” she says.

'It's not going to be really hard out, it's a mixture of a few fast songs, a lot of medium and a lot of slow, fun, dance songs.

'If people don't want to stay for the whole event there's no pressure to do the whole thing.”

The event is being hosted at Greerton Memorial Hall from 2-3.30pm on Sunday October 28.

Entry costs $15 with all proceeds going to the Tauranga Breast Cancer Support Network.

For more information, visit the Tina's Zumba Fitness Facebook page.